Rear guard for traction-cars.



R. DRESSMANN.

REAR GUARD FOR TRACTION CARS. APPLIQATM n 'Nov. 23, 1908.

944,082, Patented Dec. 21, 1909.

Irate/L502" ortrrsn @TATES i i tram til nlitjitl ROBERT DRESSMANN, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF 'lO CHARLES C. CARTER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

EAR GUARD FOR TRACTION-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1905?.

To all HIMWIL it may concern:

lie it known that l, llonnn'r Dru-:sswxxx, a citizen of the llnited States, residing in Covington. county of Kenton. and State. of Kentucky. have invented certain new and useful ltear (,iuards tor Traction-Cars and the Like. of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. reference being had to the zurcompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a guard for the rear end of traction cars, which shall give warning to any passenger alighting from the car that another car is approaching from the opposite direction, and to prevent such passenger from being struck by the approaching car in crossing the street behind the car from which he has just alighted.

The invention consists ot a bar which is arranged to be projected from the rear end of the car. both to serve as a warning signal, and also to block the passage of any one immediately in the rear of the car. with mechanism for controlling and operating the guard so that the bar may be projected from the rear of the car by the action of the motoranan, only when he realizes that a car is approaching in the opposite direction,

and liability of accident may be imminent,

' and in which under control of the motorman, the guard may be automatically drawn up underneath the car as soon as the danger is past, and the ar starts on its forward course the guard to be again automatically re-set so that it may be again projected when required.

ln'the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a. traction car with my automatic rear guard attached. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the operating mechanism when the guard is at rest in its position underneath the car. Fig. 3 is a similar view of a portion of the construction shown in Fig. 2, as the guard is being propelled from underneath the car. Fig. at is a bottom plan view partly in section of the operating meehan ism. Fig. 5 is a side elevation partly in section of the side opposite that shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 6 is a side elevation partly truck, is a casing 3 in which is mounted a bar -l, which is secured in any suitable ay as by hook and eye 5, to a rack bar (3. provided with the rack teeth 7. The casing 23 extends beneath the rear platform of the ear. and S is a coiled spring attached at one end 5), to the casing, and at the other end 10 to the rack bar (5, by which spring when the parts are released. the guard -l will be projected rearwardly from underneath the rear platform. The guard is normally held at rest underneath the car by the pin it, which engages the slot 132 in the side of the rack bar (3, the pin being mounted in the side of the casing. and normally held in engagement with the rack bar by the coiled spring 13.

As a convenient means for releasing the pin ll, 1 connect same by the flexible cord 14, running over the pulley 15, with the loot, pin 16, which roiocts through the floor of the front platlome in convenient position for the motorlnan, so that by depressing the foot pin 16, tension will be exerted on the flexible cord 14 to draw out the pin 11, and release the rack bar so that the coiled spring 8 will propel the bar t rearwardly from underneath the rear platform.

The slot 12 is located in such a position on the side of the rack bar, that when the pin 11 is in engagement with the slot, the rack bar will be held in elevated position, with the teeth of the rack bar out of engagement with the ratchet wheel'lT, which is keyed or otherwise secured on the axle Allah spring 18 mounted in the casing, is also provided to assist in holtling the rack bar in elevated and horizontal position.

The lower horizontal edge of the rack bar is cut away as shown at 19. and when the pin 11 is withdrawn from the slot 12, and the rack bar is drawn rearwardly by the spring 8, the pin rides down the inclined surface 20 and along the groove 19 holding the rack bar elevated, as the guard is propelled from underneath the car as shown in Fig. 3. At; the opposite end of tl1e rack bar is another slot 21, and when the pin 11 reaches this slot, the rack bar will be depressed by the arm 22, which bears on the upper surface of the rack bar. This arm is pivoted at 23 on the casing, and is provided with a downwardly projecting arm 24, held under tension by the coiled spring 25, attached between the end of the arm 24, and the casing. 26 is a flexihle cord connected with the outer end of this arni running through the eye 27, and connected at its forward end with the foot pin 16 so that when the inotorinan depresses the foot pin 16 he will raise the arm 22 from the rack bar, and as long asthe niotornian maintains his pressure on the foot pin, the rack bar even when it has reached the limit of its rearward throw, will still be held out of contactwith the ratchet wheel 1?, by'the spring 18. The moment that the motorinan releases the foot pin 16 and the same is returned to its normal position by a suitable spring, not shown, the coiled spring 25.

which is a stronger spring than the tlat spring 1S. draws down the rack bar. causing the teeth thereot to engage the ratchet wheel 17. it the same time the pin ll is carried to the upper end of the slot. 2].. is the car 3 derneath the car.

advances. the ratchet wheel 17 is rotated drawinghack the rack and the rear guard to their normal positions underneath the car, and the pin 11' rides up the inclined surface :8, and bears against the side of the raclr har during its return.

The teeth of the rack bar are so arranged, as illustrated in Fig. 8, that just before the pin 11 reaches the slot 12, the teeth of the ratchet wheel will con 1e in contact with the lower surface of the rack ba and raise the same al owing the pin .11 to engage the slot 12. and the parts will be returned to their normal position. with the rack bar held disengaged from the atchet wheel.

The operation of my automatic rear guard will be evident from the foregoing description.

Normally the guard is held in locked po sition by the pin 11, and ti rack bar is disengaged from the ratchet nneel, and the ear proceeds in its or-ilinary way, signal has been given to stop, in order to allow a pa nger to alight, it' the inotornian perceives a car approaching which may he asource of danger, he depresses the toot pin 16.. This releases the guard and allows it to be propelled rearwardly tronrthe car,

-so as to prevent any one crossing behind the car. The word danger ma he printed on the guard to call attentimrto the purpose thereof. As long as the motm'znan keeps the foot pin depressed. the guard will remain in its projected position, whether the car is running or at rest. The moment the motorman releases the foot pin, however, the rack l l l l l underneath therar, means for releasing the retaining mechanism under control of the uiotorinan, springtor propelling the device from under the car body, rack to which the device is attached, and ratchet *heel to engage said rack and withdraw the device nn 2. In a traction be projected beyond the rez; oi the ear, mechanism for normally retaining the device underneath the car, means for releasin the retaining mechanism under control or the inotornian. spring for propelling the device from under the car hotly, ratchet whee mounted on the on r axle to rotate therewith, raekhar to which the signaling device is attached normally disengaged from the ratchet wheel, and means for throwing said her and w other to "uithdraw the signal device underneath the car body with the advance of the car.

8. In a traction car signaling device to be projected beyond th rear 01 the car, a retaining pin to hold the device underneatl the car body, means for releasing the pin under control of the niotorinan, spring for pro 'ielling the deyice from under the car,

ratchet wheel mounted on the car axle to rotate therewith rack bar to which the sig- "ICC attached, provided with 21. ed l the retaining pin to hold the nailing slot enga rank har out of engagement with the ratchet whorl, with spring arm to enforce sueh;engageinun, and ci'mneetiori spring arm with the raels: loar releasing device \\-liereh the spring arui may he disengaged simultaneously with the retainii'ig pin.

Rt )illfllt'i )ltPlSS'a/tiilitt Ni 1 nosses:

ll. 1. ilanorrr, llnssin A. 132mm.

car signaling device to,

eel into engagement with each 

